Pubdate: Fri, 27 Oct 2017
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Page: 5

Marijuana Advice

COUNCIL BLOWING SMOKE FOR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

At a special council meeting, Tuesday city council lit up its
marijuana advice for the provincial government.

Mayor Doug Findlater and his council provided feedback for the
ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on the legalization of
non-medical marijuana. Council came up with these suggestions:

* The minimum age to buy, grow and possess marijuana should be
19.

* Province should prohibit public cannabis smoking altogether, but
allow cannabis vaping wherever tobacco smoking and vaping are allowed.

* Province should launch a public education and awareness campaign
regarding cannabis-impaired driving, establish a zerotolerance
standard for "L" or "N" drivers, provide training to police officers
to identify impairment and include drug-impaired driving in Immediate
Roadside Prohibition or Administrative Driving Prohibition
enforcement.

* Province should implement a government distribution
model.

* Province should implement a public retail system, provided it
observes local bylaws.

Council also indicated an interest in revenue sharing with the
province as municipalities will be faced with costs related to police
training and bylaw enforcement.

Staff will provide council's feedback in a written submission to the
ministry.

At the special meeting, council also discussed temporary agricultural
workers.

Council directed staff to begin drafting zoning bylaw amendments
regarding temporary agricultural worker dwellings.

On Aug. 22, a delegation to council expressed concerns about ongoing
alleged criminal activity and bylaw infractions related to temporary
agricultural dwellings on Scharf Road.

In response, staff provided a report with options for Council to
consider to help address some of these concerns. Council provided the
following decision points to help focus the drafting of the amendments:

* Investigate further regulations in the Zoning Bylaw for the use of
tents and recreational vehicles as acceptable forms of temporary
agricultural worker dwellings.

* Require that all agricultural worker dwellings have hygienic
washroom and bathing facilities.

* Require that all agricultural worker dwellings follow occupant loads
in British Columbia Building Code, but Council wants input from the
industry on this point.

* Investigate further mechanisms for proponents of temporary
agricultural worker dwellings to notify the City of their intent to
operate.

* Investigate the possibility of requiring business licenses for the
operation of agricultural worker dwellings and increasing the fine for
a contravention of the bylaw.

* To investigate a council policy for statutory declarations and/or
restrictive covenants associated with temporary agricultural workers.

Staff will consult with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural
Advisory Commission and the local agricultural industry when drafting
new regulations.

Public consultation will also be undertaken.

At the regular meeting that followed the special one, council
discussed arena safety.

In light of the recent tragic deaths of three arena workers in Fernie,
Council was provided a verbal report on safety procedures at Jim Lind
Arena and Royal LePage Place.

The city maintains its ammonia refrigeration plant to the highest
standards for arenas.

It has received a risk assessed facility designation from the BC
Safety Authority (BCSA), considered the leading standard in safety
when it comes to maintaining, monitoring, and operating an ammonia
refrigeration plant inside a community ice arena.

Regular inspections by the BCSA are completed and a refrigeration
contractor conducts monthly inspections and routine maintenance on the
city's ice plant.

Staff complete routine checks and fill out a detailed checklist every
two hours. All staff are trained and have a provincially-recognized
certificate, which is legislatively mandated for workers.

Monitoring is done 24 hours a day and notification is sent if there is
a problem. In the event of an ammonia leak, an audible and visual
alarm goes off inside the rink, a signal is sent to the monitoring
company and staff are notified.

A high speed fan will kick in to help exhaust the ammonia, however, it
will shut off if ammonia levels are too high and present a risk to the
outside public.

If needed, an emergency shut down button located outside the ice plant
can be activated by staff. A gas monitor is mounted outside the
refrigeration plant and displays the gas levels inside the plant.

Personal protective equipment is provided to staff including gas
masks, eye protection and hearing protection. In the event of an
emergency, the City will implement facility evacuation procedures,
which all arena staff are trained to lead.
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MAP posted-by: Matt